3,7-diaminophenothiazine (DAPTZ) compounds have previously been shown to inhibit tau protein aggregation and to disrupt the structure of PHFs, and reverse the proteolytic stability of the PHF core (see WO96/30766, F Hoffman-La Roche). Such compounds were disclosed for use in the treatment and prophylaxis of various diseases, including AD and Lewy Body Disease, and included methylthioninium chloride (“MTC”).
WO96/30766 describes, in the case of oral administration, a daily dosage of about 50 mg to about 700 mg, preferably about 150 mg to about 300 mg, divided in preferably 1-3 unit doses.
Other disclosures of phenothiazines in the area of neurodegenerative disorders include WO 02/075318, WO 2005/030676.
It was known in the art that DAPTZ compounds can occur in a charged (oxidised) form and an uncharged (reduced or “leuko”) form. It was also known that the cellular absorption of these differed. Additionally, it was known that such compounds could in principle have adverse haematological effects and other side effects at certain doses.
WO 02/055720 (The University Court of the University of Aberdeen) discusses the use of reduced forms of diaminophenothiazines specifically for the treatment of a variety of protein aggregating diseases, although the disclosure is primarily concerned with tauopathies. WO 02/055720 discusses a preliminary pharmacokinetic model based on studies of urinary excretion data sets in humans, dogs and rats by DiSanto and Wagner, J Pharm Sci 1972, 61:1086-1090 and 1972, 61:1090-1094 and Moody et al., Biol Psych 1989, 26: 847-858. It further notes that the only form of methylene blue which crosses the blood-brain barrier after iv administration is the reduced form. Based on in vitro activity for the reduced forms of diaminophenothiazines therein, a suggested daily dosage was 3.2-3.5 mg/kg, and dosages of 20 mg tds, 50 mg tds or 100 mg tds, combined with 2× mg ratio of ascorbic acid in such a manner as to achieve more than 90% reduction prior to ingestion were also described.
However WO 02/055720 did not provide a model which integrated blood level data such as that described by Peter et al. (2000) Eur J Clin Pharmacol 56: 247-250 or provide a model validated by clinical trial data. Indeed, as described below, the Peter et al. data contradicted the earlier data from DiSanto and Wagner as regards terminal elimination half-life.
May et al. (Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2004, Vol. 286, pp. C1390-C1398) showed that human erythrocytes sequentially reduce and take up MTC i.e. that MTC itself is not taken up by the cells but rather that it is the reduced from of MTC that crosses the cell membrane. They also showed that the rate of uptake is enzyme dependent; and that both MTC and reduced MTC are concentrated in cells (reduced MTC re-equilibrates once inside the cell to form MTC).
Nevertheless, the optimisation of an appropriate therapeutic dose of DAPTZ compounds such as MTC, and their formulation, in particular to optimise desired activity or minimise adverse side affects are complex problems. A major barrier to this is the lack of a suitable pharmacokinetic model. Thus it can be seen that the provision of such a model, and hence teaching about addressing one or more of these problems, would provide a contribution to the art.
Prior filed, unpublished, application PCT/GB2007/001103 discloses compounds including:

These compounds may be considered to be a stabilized reduced form by comparison with, for example, MTC.
PCT/GB2007/001103 describes dosage units comprising 20 to 300 mg of the DAPTZ compounds described therein e.g. 30 to 200 mg, for example 30 mg, 60 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg. A suitable dose of the DAPTZ compound is suggested in the range of about 100 ng to about 25 mg (more typically about 1 μg to about 10 mg) per kilogram body weight of the subject per day e.g. 100 mg, 3 times daily, 150 mg, 2 times daily, 200 mg, 2 times daily.